Automatic safety railway-crossing.



v No. 000,020. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1000. TFSQUIRES.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILWAY CROSSING.

INVENTOR. 3 a 5134M! APPLICATION FILED APR.29,1905,

WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SQUIRES, OF MARIPOSA TOWNSHIP, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILWAY- CROSSING- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed April 29 1905. Serial No. 258,048.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS S UIREs, of the township of Mariposa, in thecounty of Victoria, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inAutomatic Safety Railway-Crossings, ofwhich the following is a specification. The object of my invention is toprevent accidents at points where railway-tracks cross one another,andit is particularly adapted to places where street-railway tracks on anordinary roadway cross the rails of a steam road running on a regularright of way. Such crossings are usually protected byvertically-swinging gates; and my invention consists, essentially, inproviding the street-railway track with a switch and in so connectingthe switchpoint with a gate that when the gates are closed on theapproach of a train the switch-point will be moved to open the switchand when, the gates are opened the switch-point will be moved to closethe switch, substantially as hereinafter more specifically described andthen definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a crossing protected with my invention.Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a part of the same looking from theright toward the ,adjacent gate in Fig. l.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the dilferent figures.

A represents a roadway, and B a railway or other right of way on whichare laid the rail- Way-tracks C. On the roadway are laid the tracks D ofanother line of railway, in the present case supposed to be the tracksof a streetrailway.

E represents gates protecting the crossing, preferably of thevertically-swinging type ordinarily employed. I show two gatesprotecting the crossing at each side, though of course a single gatemight be employed, if convenient. Each gate is pivoted on the spindle F,carried by the standards G.

H represents switches connecting with the main line at each side of thecrossing. These switches, it will be observed, are at each side locatedon the line along which cars approach the crossing and the switch iscurved out laterally from the main line, so that any car or carsdiverted onto the switch are gradually directed away from the crossing.Each switch is provided with suitable means by which 1t may be openedand closed. I show a switchpoint I for each switch, by means of whichthe opening and closing may be effected. 'To opposite sides of thispoint are connected the cables J and K, the other ends of these cablesbeing connected to opposite sides of a drum L on the same spindle as andconnected with one of the gates E. The cables between the drums and theswitch-points are carried around suitable guide-pulleys M. It will benoted that the cables for each switch are connected with drums operatedby the same gate. This is to insure the simultaneous movement of theswitch-points and their accurate regulation, as the movement of only onegate has thus to be considered when connections and adjustments aremade. The gates may of course be provided with any of the ordinarymechanisms for causing their simultaneous operation, if desired. In thecables intended to draw the switch-points to open the switches Ipreferably locate draft-springs N. These allow the gates to move afterthe switch-point has been closed, and thus avoid all danger of strainingor breaking any of the parts by continued downward movement of the gateafter the switch-point has been closed. It will be understood, ofcourse, that it is a somewhatdifiicult matter to exactly regulate theconnection so that the switch-point is moved the required distance toopen the switch at the exact instant that the gate has descended to itslast position. The use of draft-springs obviates the necessity forattempting this difficult adjustment.

From the construction described it follows that when the gate is openedthe drums L are rotated and the cables K drawn upon to move theswitchpoints to close the switch to the main line. When the gates areclosed, the cables J are drawn upon to draw the points I into positionto open the switches to the main line. Thus any car approaching thecrossing would be deflected into the switch and cannot possibly run onthrough the gates and into collision with an approaching train on theright of way. The switches may be provided with any suitable stops 0, bywhich the car may be brought to a standstill or may, if desired, be onan upgrade, which will answer the same purpose. It will be understood,of course, that the cables and guide-pulleys might be under groundexcept where brought up for connection with the drums L. It will beunderstood, further, that the device is applicable either to a double orsingle track railway system and that the right of way at the crossingwhich is protected might be an ordinary roadway, a river, canal,drawbridge, or any I other right of way the crossing of which isprotected with gates as described.

It is desirable, particularly for use at nig'ht, that signals shall begiven, indicating both along the road and along the right of way whenthe gates are down and when they are up. For this purposeI provide oneor more signal-lamps T of the ordinary rotary type. provided with dangerand safety signals at opposite sides. Each signal-lamp will be providedwith a pulley P, by which it may be rotated. The gate which operates theswitches will be provided with an extra drum Q, rotating with the gate.Cables R will connect this drum with the pulley P, passing on its wayaround suitable guide-pulleys. The arrangement will be such that whenthe gate is down the signal-lamp will show red along the roadway andwhite along the right of way, and when the gate is up red along theright of way and white along the road. Of course the lamp may bediiferently colored on opposite sides to give the same signals indaylight. If a semaphore be desired for each track on the right of way,it may be arranged as shown in the drawings, cables S being providedconnecting with the cables R and running, if necessary, around suitableguide-pulleys.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In adevice of the class describedthe combination of a railway-track; a swinging gate transverse of thetrack; a switch connecting with the track and located at one side of thegate; means for opening and closing the switch; and connecting meansbetween the gate and the switch whereby when the gate is closed theswitch is open, and vice versa, substantially as described.

2. In adevice of the class described the combination of a railway-track;a swinging gate transverse of the track; a switch connecting with thetrack and located at one side of the gate; means for opening and closingthe switch; connecting means between the gate and the switch wherebywhen the gate is closed the switch is open, and vice versa; and a stopin the line of the switch, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of arailway-track; a swinging gate transverse of the track; a switchconnecting with the track and curved out laterally; means for openingand closing the switch; and connecting means between the gate and theswitch whereby when the gate is closed the switch is open,and viceversa,substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of a right of way;a road crossing said right of way; railway-tracks on said road;aswing-gate transverse of the roadway at each side of the right of way;a switch at each side of the crossing, connecting with the main line,and curved out laterally; means for opening and closing the switches;and connecting means between each switch and a gate, whereby when thegate is closed the switch is open, and vice versa, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of arailway-track; a swinging gate transverse of the track; a switchconnecting with the track and located at one side of the gate; means foropening and closingthe switch; a drum on the same spindle as and rockingwith the gate; two cables connected to opposite sides of the drum andopposite sides of the switch opening and closing means; andguide-pulleys for said cables, whereby when the gate is closed theswitch is open, and Vice versa, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of arailway-track; a swinging gate transverse of the track; a switchconnecting with the track and located at one side of the gate; means foropening and closing the switch; a drum on the same spindle as androcking with the gate; two cables connected to opposite sides of thedrum and opposite sides of the switch opening and closing means;guide-pulleys for said cables, whereby when the gate is closed theswitch is open, and vice versa; and a draftspring in the cable adaptedto open the switch, substantially as described.

7 In a device of the class described the combination of a right of way;a road crossing said right of way; railway-tracks on said road; aswing-gate transverse of the roadway at each side of the right of way; aswitch at each side of the crossing, connecting with the main line andcurved out laterally; means for opening and closing the switches; twodrums on the same spindle as and rocking with one of the gates; twocables connected to opposite sides of one of the drums and oppositesides of the opening and closing means of one of the switches; similarcables similarly connected to the other drum and switch opening andclosing means; and guide-pulleys for said cables, whereby when the gateis closed the switch is open, and vice versa, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a right of way;a road crossing said right of way; railway-tracks on said road; aswing-gate transverse of the roadway at each side of the right of way; aswitch at each side of the crossing, connecting with the main line, andcurved outlaterally; means for opening and closing the switches;connecting means between each switch and a gate, whereby when the gateis closed the switch is open, and vice versa; asignal-lamp adapted toshow a dangersignal along the road and a safety-signal along the rightof way, and vice versa; and means operated by a gate to move saidsignal-lamp, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described the combination of a right of way;a road crossing said right of way; railway-tracks on said road; aswing-gate transverse of the roadway at each side of the right of Way; aswitch at each side as and rocking with the aforesaid gate; two of thecrossing, connecting with the main line, cables connecting the pulleyand the drum; and curved out laterally; means for opening andguide-pulleys for the said cables, substanand closing the switches;connecting means tially as described.

5 between each switch anda gate, whereby when Cannington, Ontario, April17, 1905.

the gate is closed the switch is open, and vice Versa; asignal-lampadapted to show adangersignal along the road and a safety-signal alongIn presence of the right of way, and vice versa; a pulley on A. J. REID,

I0 the signal-lamp; a drum on the same spindle GEO. S. MACKENZIE.

THOMAS SQUIRES.

